The Torah · Old Testament
Numbers 28
Daily offerings and the early festival calendar
General context
The Lord commands offerings at their appointed times. Two year-old lambs, one each morning and evening, form the continual burnt offering with flour, oil and a drink offering. Sabbath offerings are added to that daily pattern. Monthly offerings bring bulls, a ram, lambs and a goat for sin, with measured grain and drink accompaniments. The chapter then gives the first-month Passover date, the seven-day feast of unleavened bread and its offerings, and the firstfruits observance associated with weeks. The festival offerings are repeatedly specified as additional to the continual offering.
Cited passages: Numbers 28:1, Numbers 28:2, Numbers 28:3, Numbers 28:4, Numbers 28:5, Numbers 28:6, Numbers 28:7, Numbers 28:8, Numbers 28:9, Numbers 28:10, Numbers 28:11, Numbers 28:12, Numbers 28:13, Numbers 28:14, Numbers 28:15, Numbers 28:16, Numbers 28:17, Numbers 28:18, Numbers 28:19, Numbers 28:20, Numbers 28:21, Numbers 28:22, Numbers 28:23, Numbers 28:24, Numbers 28:25, Numbers 28:26, Numbers 28:27, Numbers 28:28, Numbers 28:29, Numbers 28:30, Numbers 28:31
Numbers 28 (KJV)
1And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savour unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season.
3And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the Lord; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering.
4The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even;
5And a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering, mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil.
6It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in mount Sinai for a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
7And the drink offering thereof shall be the fourth part of an hin for the one lamb: in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the Lord for a drink offering.
8And the other lamb shalt thou offer at even: as the meat offering of the morning, and as the drink offering thereof, thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord.
9And on the sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof:
10This is the burnt offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
11And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;
12And three tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and two tenth deals of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram;
13And a several tenth deal of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb; for a burnt offering of a sweet savour, a sacrifice made by fire unto the Lord.
14And their drink offerings shall be half an hin of wine unto a bullock, and the third part of an hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of an hin unto a lamb: this is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year.
15And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the Lord shall be offered, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
16And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the Lord.
17And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
18In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:
19But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the Lord; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish:
20And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: three tenth deals shall ye offer for a bullock, and two tenth deals for a ram;
21A several tenth deal shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs:
22And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.
23Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.
24After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the Lord: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering.
25And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.
26Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the Lord, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work:
27But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savour unto the Lord; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year;
28And their meat offering of flour mingled with oil, three tenth deals unto one bullock, two tenth deals unto one ram,
29A several tenth deal unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;
30And one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.
31Ye shall offer them beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, (they shall be unto you without blemish) and their drink offerings.
This page shows the King James Version. In the app, reading opens in the Berean Standard Bible unless you have chosen another translation. The reader includes five translations: the Berean Standard Bible (BSB), the King James Version (KJV), the World English Bible (WEB), the Bible in Basic English (BBE), and the American Standard Version (ASV). Search covers three of them: Berean Standard, King James, and World English. Basic English and American Standard readers search the King James words.
Historical context
Passover falls on the fourteenth day of the first month, followed by the feast on the fifteenth. The first and seventh feast days call for holy assemblies and no servile work. The day of firstfruits also has an assembly and work restriction. In the KJV, the accompanying meat offering here consists of flour mixed with oil; ASV calls it a meal-offering. The daily drink offering is a quarter hin for one lamb, described as strong wine in the KJV and strong drink in the ASV. No modern volume conversion is supplied.
Cited passages: Numbers 28:3, Numbers 28:4, Numbers 28:5, Numbers 28:6, Numbers 28:7, Numbers 28:8, Numbers 28:16, Numbers 28:17, Numbers 28:18, Numbers 28:19, Numbers 28:20, Numbers 28:21, Numbers 28:22, Numbers 28:23, Numbers 28:24, Numbers 28:25, Numbers 28:26, Numbers 28:27, Numbers 28:28, Numbers 28:29, Numbers 28:30, Numbers 28:31
Literary context
The schedule expands from each day to each Sabbath, each month and then named annual observances. Repeated quantities and the word beside distinguish extra offerings from replacements for the daily service. Time, animal condition and accompanying grain and drink receive close attention, making regular observance the organizing concern. The chapter is an instruction for what Israel must offer, not a report that every prescribed offering has already occurred.
Cited passages: Numbers 28:2, Numbers 28:3, Numbers 28:4, Numbers 28:5, Numbers 28:6, Numbers 28:7, Numbers 28:8, Numbers 28:9, Numbers 28:10, Numbers 28:11, Numbers 28:12, Numbers 28:13, Numbers 28:14, Numbers 28:15, Numbers 28:16, Numbers 28:17, Numbers 28:18, Numbers 28:19, Numbers 28:20, Numbers 28:21, Numbers 28:22, Numbers 28:23, Numbers 28:24, Numbers 28:25, Numbers 28:26, Numbers 28:27, Numbers 28:28, Numbers 28:29, Numbers 28:30, Numbers 28:31
Key moments
- Morning and evening (Numbers 28:4). One lamb is prescribed for the morning and the other for the evening.
- The Passover date (Numbers 28:16). The calendar places Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
- Firstfruits and weeks (Numbers 28:26). A new grain offering, holy assembly and work restriction mark the firstfruits observance.
For reflection
How does the distinction between a continuing daily practice and additional special observances affect your reading of this schedule? What role does repetition play in remembering a shared commitment?